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2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. N. SGHWALEN. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

(No Model.)

a a o I 0 W wwvwooeo 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. N. SCHWALEN.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

No. 460,892. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

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F W P i t ji & z N f q t b 4 a 0 l ll q n I I i UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.-

.IOHN N. SCHIVALEN, OF HUDSON, \VISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEOKNOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,892, dated October6, 1891.

Application filed October 24, 1890. Serial No. 369,206. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Iie it known that I, JOHN N. SCHWALEN, a citlzen of the United States,residingat Hudson, in the county of St. Oroix, in the State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in\Vagon-Brakes, of which the following is a full and completedescription, sufficient to enable any one having ordinary mechanicalskill to make and to use the same.

My invention relates to automatic brakes which are applied by the teamholding back, as when going downhill, and taken off by the draft of theteam when the bottom of the hill is reached; and it consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of devices, hereinafterdescribed, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus- 2o trate my invention andform a part of this specification, Figure l is a bottom plan view of thefront part of the running-gear of a wagon, showingthe brakes applied tothe rear of the wheels. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the 2 5 brakesapplied in front of the wheels. Fig.

3 is a vertical sectional View taken longitudinally through the rear endof the tongue, showing the devices for holding the tongue in fixedposition. Figs. 4 and 5 are views showing details.

I will first describe the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and afterwardthat showrf in Fig. 2.

A designates the axle, B B the hounds, and D the tongue. The tongue isnot provided with the usual hounds, but is merely a straight pole, therear end of which lies and works between two parallel cheek-piecesE E,secured at their front ends to the houndsB B and at their rear ends tothe axle. The tongue is secured in 0 place by a transverse bar or boltd. Ordinarily the bolt d passes through the tongue and hounds; but, asrepresented in the drawings, it passes under the tongue, being held tothe latter by a metal plate f, bent to form a keeper and secured againstthe under side of the tongue. The ends of the bolt d are fiattened andproject into keepers formed of flat plates 9 g, bolted against the undersides of the cheek-pieces E E. The keepers g g are 50 of such length asto permit a limited reciprocating movement of the tongue, the purpose ofwhich will presently be explained. Outside of the hounds are twolongitudinal side bars F F, substantially parallel to each other, theirrear ends bolted against the sides of the hounds and their frontendsupon the axle. They project somewhat in front of the axle, as shown.Upon the front ends of the side bars F F, atcc, are fulcrumed two transverse levers b 1), whose inner ends are pivotally connected with theflattened ends of the bolt (1, the pivot-holes b in the latter beingsufiiciently elongated to permit the vibration of the levers Z) I) bythe backward and forward movement of the tongue and bolt d.

The levers b b are connected by connecting rods or links a a with thebrake-bar G, which is held against the under side of the hounds B B bykeepers g g, of sufficient length to permit the necessary forward andbackward 7o movement of the brake bar to apply the brakes H H to theWheels and to take them off.

The operation of this brake mechanism is as follows: \Vhen the wagon isgoing downhill and the horses are holding back, the tongue will moveback, carrying with it the bolt cl, whereby the levers b b will bevibrated on their fulcra c c, the brake-bar G will be drawn forward bythe connecting-rods a a, and the brakes will be pressed against thewheels with a force corresponding with or depending on the weight of theload, the steepness of the hill, and the force with which the team holdsback.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, which shows the brakes arrangedin front of the wheels, the construction, arrangement, and operation aredescribed as follows: Instead of the single and continuous brake-bar G,above described,I use two short bars G 0 G, which, instead of sliding,as before, are pivoted on the front ends of the side bars F F, whichextend forward past the rims of the wheels, as shown, so that thebrake-blocks H H, on the outer ends of the bars G G stand in 5 front ofthe wheels. Transverse levers b b are fulcrumed at c c on the side barsF F in front of the axle, their inner ends being pivotally connected tothe tongue at 6', so as to be swung backward and forward by the roebackward and forward movement of the tongue. The levers b are connectedat points 6' inside of their fulcra with the brake-bars G, at points qoutside of their pivots c by connecting-rods a, whereby when the leversZ) are swung backward the outer ends of the bars G will also be drawnbackward and the brake blocks pressed against the wheels, and when swungforward the corresponding movement. thereby imparted to the bars G andto the brake-blocks will carry the latter away from the Wheels.

It is sometimes desirable to hold the brakes and hold the tongue infixed position against either forward or backward movement, and thushold the brakes in or out of action, according to the position in whichthe tongue is locked. Then, however, the plate G is turned up into theposition indicated by broken lines the tongue is free to be movedbackward and forward to operate the brakes,

as above explained. The plate G? is provided with a vertical lever-armF, bent laterally at its upper end, whereby it is adapted to be operatedby the foot of the driver.

It will be understood that a single tooth on each of the plates E and Gwould be sufficient to hold the tongue in either of its two positions;but for the sakeot strength and security I provide a series of teeth, asshown.

Having now described my invention, I claim In an automatic vehicle-brakeadapted to be operated by the longitudinal movement of the tongue, thecombination, with the tongue provided on its upper side with aSCHXVALEN.

